Throughout this page, the Detroit, Michigan birth injury attorneys at Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers will explain the important things to know about cerebral palsy, birth injury and medical malpractice. We will cover everything from the causes of cerebral palsy and birth injury to some of the specific places birth injury may occur in Detroit, Michigan. Should you have any legal questions or case inquiries as we explain this material, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Detroit, Michigan birth injury attorneys. You may call us toll-free at 888-419-2229, press our Live Chat tab, or contact us online here.

Birth Injury and Medical Malpractice in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan is home to a number of widely recognized medical centers and research institutions. Scientists from Wayne State University (WSU) and Detroit Medical Center (DMC) have consistently been on the forefront of scientific breakthroughs. In fact, a researcher from Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) helped prove that hypothermia treatments (brain cooling) can help prevent or decrease the amount of brain damage occurring in a baby following an oxygen depriving insult. Specifically, when a newborn baby has hypoxic ischemic encephalopthy (HIE) and is given brain cooling treatment within 6 hours after birth, the chances of death, brain damage and cerebral palsy are reduced. Currently, other scientists from WSU / DMC are studying the ability to deliver medication to very specific parts of the brain using nanotechnology. This technology has helped prevent movement disorders (such as those found in cerebral palsy) in rabbits, and it looks very promising for treatment to prevent cerebral palsy in humans.

In spite of its great scientists and physicians, birth injuries do occur in Detroit, Michigan. A common cause of birth injury in newborns is untreated maternal infection. These infections range from common bacterial infections such as Group B Strep (GBS) to sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Most women afflicted with these infections while pregnant are appropriately treated and give birth to healthy babies. Unfortunately, the infections are sometimes overlooked or simply unidentified until it’s too late, and this can cause permanent brain damage, such as cerebral palsy, in the baby.

Detroit, Michigan Birth Injury Attorneys Discuss Pregnancy Infections

There are two general types of maternal to fetal infections. The first type of infection is bacterial. Bacterial infections are sometimes referred to as ascending bacterial infections. Bacterial infections generally move up the cervix and into the placenta and amniotic fluid. When this occurs, the baby can be deprived of oxygen or nutrients.
The second type of infection commonly seen in pregnant women is a viral infection. These typically start in the mother’s blood and are transmitted through the placenta to the baby, potentially destroying the baby’s brain cells or causing growth and development problems.

Maternal infections include the following:

GBS

HSV

Urinary tract infections (UTI)

Bacterial vaginosis (BV)

Chorioamnionitis

An undiagnosed and untreated infection in a pregnant woman can have devastating effects on the baby. For example, GBS is a bacteria that is fairly common (occurring in about 1 out of every 4 pregnant women) and is usually symptom-less and harmless to a mother. However, a baby that contracts GBS from the mother can develop neonatal meningitis or sepsis, leading causes of permanent brain damage and death. Likewise, if the HSV is undetected and untreated in the mother and is transmitted to the baby, the baby could develop encephalitis and suffer permanent brain damage. Cerebral palsy, intellectual and developmental disabilities, learning delays and seizures are just some of the resultant lifelong problems that can occur in a baby whose mother had an untreated infection.

Cerebral palsy and infant brain damage is oftentimes caused by a lack of oxygen at or near the time of birth. Fetal or neonatal oxygen deprivation often results in a dangerous brain injury known as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It can also be caused by any of the conditions listed above, including infections that travel to the baby at birth. There are several very good cerebral palsy treatment programs in Michigan.

Listed below are some of the treatments and therapies available for children who have cerebral palsy, brain damage, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), or related lifelong disabilities.

Birth Attorneys Lawyers in Detroit, Michigan

Regardless of whether you gave birth at a Detroit hospital such as Oakwood, a specialty facility like Hutzel Women’s Hospital, or even a large hospital like Henry Ford Hospital System, there are standards of care related to pregnancy and labor and delivery. These standards dictate that the mother must be tested to rule out infections. These tests screen for conditions such as HSV, GBS, UTI, BV, toxoplasmosis, rubella, and other infections. Doctors also must assess each woman’s risk factors and determine if additional tests for infection are necessary.

The highly regarded Detroit, Michigan birth injury attorneys at ABC Law Centers have been helping children with birth injuries throughout the nation for over two decades. Jesse Reiter, the firm’s co-founder, has been focusing on birth injury cases his entire 30+ year career. Jesse helps children all over the country, and when he takes a case, he spends a lot of time getting to know the child and family he is helping so he can fully understand the child’s needs. Jesse has won many awards for his advocacy of children, and he is currently recognized as being one of the best medical malpractice lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report, as well as one of the 10 Best Attorneys in Michigan by Super Lawyers magazine.

Jesse and his team of Detroit, Michigan birth injury attorneys are passionate about helping children obtain all the support, therapy and treatment they need so they have a good quality of life and a secure future. Jesse and his team will carefully review all medical records to determine if negligence occurred. Once Jesse sees medical malpractice, he aggressively fights to obtain compensation for lifelong care and support of the child, which typically includes treatment, medical devices, housing and education.

Medical malpractice pertaining to birth injuries is a difficult area of law to pursue due to the complex nature of the medical records. The award winning Detroit, Michigan birth injury attorneys at Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers have decades of experience with birth injury cases. To find out if you have a case, contact our nationally recognized firm to speak with an experienced birth injury attorney. We handle cases in Michigan, Ohio, Washington, D.C. and throughout the nation. We have numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements that attest to our success, and no fees are ever paid to our firm until we win your case.